Living in WI

Hi Everyone. I have lived in MN most of my life but about a year ago became a WI resident. I live across the bridge(s) from Duluth in Superior. I work full time at a non-profit but am looking to get into nursing (slowly but surely!). I am hoping to soon get my CNA and then start on PreReqs for nursing school which will hopefully be at St. Scholastica (in their Post BA Certificate program - I have a BA in Psych). My first question is does anyone have experience working in one state and living in another. I assume it makes sense to get my CNA in MN if that's where i expect to work. Since there are more facilities in Duluth that's what I think would be the smartest. However I don't know if there's any legal issues that your license has to be in the state where you live. Or is it at all possible to have a dual license? I would assume not but I know sometimes MN and WI have reciprocity or other special arrangements due to close proximity. I haven't found anything about CNA licences though.

Also since I already have a BA does it make any sense to just get my Associate RN degree? I know the pay his higher for a BSN (which is essentially what you have when you finish St. Scholastica) but I don't know if it's worth the very high cost of the program. I went to a small liberal arts college and so I think the atmosphere of their small program would be nice but it's extremely expensive and intensive.

I found that I was able to finish my associate degree, pre-reqs for LPN and RN program, while on the waiting list at Lake Superior - I got sick of waiting, talked to and went to Scholastica, where I finished in 3 years, about the same time others were getting their degrees at LSC. CSS was a better option for me, initially just due to time, and in the end, I'm glad I got the BAN - and I did get good financial aid - not sure if there's a whole lot for the 2nd bachelor's though - be sure to ask about the MENTUR program there, you might find some good info about the financial support they can offer that way. Loans, though, aren't that bad in the end. I want my master's, so if I had gotten the 2-year, would have had to go back and get the BAN/BSN anyway.

As for the WI/MN thing, I believe you can have dual certs, you just have to pay for it in both states. Good luck!

Feb 22, '09

it is my understanding if you get your CNA in wi that minnesota and wisconsin have a reciprocity agreement and that you just need to apply to be on the minnesota nar registry. Minnesota does not charge to put you on the cna registry but wisconsin may charge to process the paperwork. I am in the process of helping my aunt who lives in wisconsin and is a new cna but would like to work at the facility i am at in minnesota as a cna. hope this helps
brenda

Feb 24, '09

My college advisor told me to go for the ADN ( I also have a B.A.) because she said that if I ever wanted to go one for more schooling, I could do a bridge program (ADN to MSN) or do the RN to BSN whgile working and making more money. She thought that it didn't make much sense to go for the BSn right off the bat because the ADN was a shorter program, I could take less loans, and get to work sooner. Not sure if that is true in your neck 'o' the woods, but that was the case for me!

Mar 9, '09

You need to have a certification for each of MN and WI as a CNA, there is no reciprocity. It only takes a matter of a couple of weeks to get one from the other once you send your info in.

As for a nursing license, MN is not one of the 20 or so states that uses reciprocity for their nurses. BUT, if you live in the surrounding states of SD, ND, IA, and WI..... you can work in MN on that license. They usually like it if you plan to keep working there that you eventually get a MN license though. If you are a MN nurse, you have to apply for a WI license as they won't recognize your MN one.

I live in WI and work in St. Paul but, keep both WI and MN licenses active.

Also since I already have a BA does it make any sense to just get my Associate RN degree? I know the pay his higher for a BSN (which is essentially what you have when you finish St. Scholastica) !

*** I know this is an old discussion but FYI pay is not higher for an RN with a BSN vs an RN with an associates degree. In some parts of the country there is a tiny difference, but not in the upper midwest.

Jan 22, '10

The VA does give some financial preference to BSN with a slightly higher starting wage. I think it is about 1 step.

*** I know this is an old discussion but FYI pay is not higher for an RN with a BSN vs an RN with an associates degree. In some parts of the country there is a tiny difference, but not in the upper midwest.

This might true at your facility, but it is not true at my facility or any that I interviewed with before I got this job. All offered a differential for BSN vs. ADN.

This might true at your facility, but it is not true at my facility or any that I interviewed with before I got this job. All offered a differential for BSN vs. ADN.

*** Just curious about these facilities in the upper mid west you applied to. What state and how much was the differential?

Jan 23, '10

[font="comic sans ms"]i know plenty of nurses who have lived in one state and worked in another: wisconsin and minnesota. wisconsin and iowa. wisconsin and illinois. washington and oregon, washington and idaho, idaho and montana, washington and montana, california and oregon . . . you catch my drift. i even know people who live in canada and work in the us.

Jan 23, '10

Hey, neighbor!

Not much to add, but I'm so glad to see the Twin Ports representing. AND! UMD *says* they're going to do a bridge program, which I think is supposed to start next year. So there are more options than crazy-expensive CSS.

Jan 23, '10

So, how is everyone handling the news on the tax reciprocity? We now are getting MN employment taxes deducted and will have to file in MN to get them back next year, besides filing in WI and paying in.

Mar 7, '10

I didn't read through all these posts completely, so I apologize if this has been said already. MN and WI do not have reciprocity anymore, as of summer '09. If you take your CNA in WI, you CAN work in MN, but if you take your CNA class in MN, you CANNOT work in WI. WI upped their hours for the class, so MN is 40 hours less than WI now. So if you think you may want to work in WI at some point, take your CNA class there. I took mine in MN because that's where I'm attending school for my LPN, but that was a bad move, because I cannot work in WI. There is a home just a few miles from my house in WI that I want to work at, but I would have to take the entire course over and pay for it and the test again.